Growing and Analyzing International and Alternative Vegetables for Production, Marketing, and Medicinal Properties in Tennessee

Tennessee has a growing number of international citizens from various Asian, Indian, African, Middle Eastern, and Hispanic countries now residing in the Nashville area and surrounding counties. These new Tennessee residents desire their traditional vegetables which are not grown in Tennessee. Nashville and surrounding counties have several International grocery stores, these stores ship in vegetable produce from out of the county and some of these stores will keep this produce for sales past the recommended shelf life. The local groceries and farmers markets do not carry these desired fruits and vegetables, therefore creating a market for these vegetables. In the Tennessee region, there are many small and limited resource producers who are struggling to remaining viable and need to create and identify new markets to increasing their incomes. At Tennessee State University, we have been researching and working with small and limited producers statewide with growing and marketing international and alternative vegetables. We are presently are producing twelve (12) different varieties of peppers, Bottle Gourd, Bitter Melon, White Eggplant, Tinda, Chinese Okra, and Tomatillos as alternative vegetables for the local residents and new international residents now living in Tennessee. For the past four years we have grown twelve varieties of peppers, herbs and tomatillos for the Italian and Hispanic markets; in the past three years Bottle Gourd, Bitter Melon, Chinese Okra, White Eggplant; and the past two years for Tinda. We evaluated the feasibility of growing these vegetables in the Tennessee region and marketing strategies. Bitter Melon and Bottle Gourd have been identified to contain medicinal properties for assisting with reducing inflammation, reduction of blood pressure, provide anti-anxiety effects, and diabetes prevention in some individuals who consume these vegetables. These vegetables are also highly nutritional, tasty, and low in calories, which could assist in fighting obesity in Tennessee. We have assisted with production training, and educating small producers with alternative marketing strategies (direct sales with hotels, restaurants, individuals, and farmers markets). Dr. Wu, Assistant Professor of Food Science, is presently analyzing the fruits and leaves of the Bottle Gourd and Bitter Melon for their medicinal and nutritional benefits. Collaboration with Ms. Rita Fleming (a Health Education Specialist) and Ms. Leslie Speller-Henderson (a Nutrition Education Specialist) with the introduction of these vegetables to local residents to assist in the fight of obesity and as an alternative nutritional vegetable for consumption in Tennessee.